1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fan and a light each held within a single housing yet each operable independently of one another, the housing attachable to the brim of a hat or similar structure.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Keeping cool in the summer heat can often be a challenge. Indoor and automotive air conditioning is standard operating fare in most situations, allowing a person who is at home or the office or who is commuting to be able to stay relatively cool. However, often the great indoors are not to be had and the hot air can suck the energy out of a person. For example, sitting in an outdoor baseball stadium watching nine innings, working in the yard, or walking around an amusement park with the kids, can all leave a person hot and sweaty.
One simple method for keeping cool has a person fanning him or herself. The most basic fan is a handheld fan with a short handle and a relatively flat or pleated surface, often made of paper or similar material, with the device being manually waved back and forth in order to create a breeze, often targeted at the person's face. While effective, this method of fanning is labor intensive and can only be comfortably performed for short durations. Another method for keeping cool uses an automatic fan that uses a small battery powered motor to spin a series of fan blades that create a breeze. While also effective and less labor intensive than a manual fan, these types of devices still require a person to hold the device during device operation, which holding becomes strenuous after a certain amount of time. Accordingly, these battery powered fans also tend to be used for relatively short periods of time.
In order to provide automatic fanning of a person's head, and to overcome the need to carry a motor and battery pack by hand, fan hats have been proposed. Such devices attach a fan—some even with a mini air conditioner thereat—to a hat with the fan providing a stream of air onto the person's head, often toward the facial area, in order to help fan the person and make the person more comfortable. Such devices use the person's head as support instead of requiring a hand carrying of the fan. If the device is relatively small, a head supported device can be carried indefinitely without introducing undue strain onto the person's head, neck or back.
Although these devices tend to be used for longer periods of time than a manual fan or a handheld fan, such devices are not without drawbacks. Some of the prior art devices are relatively large and require a substantial battery pack so that such devices can still become uncomfortable to a person after extended use. Some devices require an enclosed volume of air to be provided by the hat for proper device usage. Such hats, typically top hats, tend not to find favor with many wearers both from a fashion and a comfort point of view. Still other devices require a modification to the hat, especially if the fan directs air at the person's face. As such, such devices tend to be limited to a particular hat or require the user to make undesirable modifications to his or her hats, modifications, which many users are either unable or unwilling to make.
A separate problem encountered by people, is the need to provide artificial light in a variety of situations. Walking in a dark place, such as an unlit park or corridor, reading a menu in a dimly lit restaurant, or searching for an item in an awkward area, such as underneath a car seat, are all examples where artificial light is a welcome assistant.
A flashlight is a very common tool used to provide artificial light. Flashlight can be aimed as desired, are relatively lightweight, and with the new technologies in both electrical storage and bulbs, can last a relatively long time without the need to change or recharge the flashlight's batteries. While effective, many light challenged situations are not well suited for flashlight use. A person walking through a dark park or on a dark beach may have his or her hands full with the day's outing paraphernalia and carrying a flashlight may provide difficult. Often a person will place the flashlight into the arm pit area which is uncomfortable and makes the proper aiming of the flashlight difficult. Many people would not feel comfortable taking out a flashlight in a restaurant.
To address these problems, lights that are attachable to a hat have been proposed. These devices allow placement of a flashlight or similar light producing system (some use candles) onto a person's headwear and allow the person to carry the light and aim the light via his or her head, freeing up the hands for other uses. Some of the prior art devices are relatively complex in design and tend to be heavy so that extended use of such devices can become uncomfortable.
What is needed is a device that solves both of the above stated needs in the art by providing a device that cools a person's face while allowing the person to be able to cast a light beam in a desired direction. Such a device must be head operated in that the device is carried via the person's head as opposed to his or her hands and is directionally controlled by the head so that the person can use the hands for other tasks. Such a device must be relatively light weight so that it can be carried by the person's head for extended periods of time without becoming gravitationally uncomfortable. Such a device must not require that the person wear a top hat or a specialized hat for use or require the person make significant modifications to existing hats. Ideally, such a device should be of relatively simple design and construction so as to be relatively easy to produce in order to keep the costs of such a device at a reasonable level so as to make the device readily affordable to a large segment of potential consumers for this type of device.